


At Arm's Length

by EasyDreamer



Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:08:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27144974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EasyDreamer/pseuds/EasyDreamer
Summary: Times are tough for flirting, but men can make do. Falling in love and making a home in the time of COVID-19.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Kudos: 5





	1. Toilets Are Not Romantic

**Author's Note:**

> Fair warning - I am unlikely to return to this story. I thought it would be cathartic to write a COVID-19 story, but turns out it just depressed me. Moving on ...

There’s something sexy about a person’s eyes. If you look directly into someone’s eyes you can create a bond with them. You can memorize the exact shade of the iris and map out the delicate wrinkles that appear when they smile, but the whole time you are really seeing into their soul. Castiel has always had a thing for eyes, but lately he’s had a whole new appreciation for their beauty and expressiveness. 

For months now, Castiel hasn’t ventured outside his home without the obligatory face mask. It’s not a political statement, just a simple measure he takes to show he’s doing his part to help block the spread and flatten the curve. He’s received his fair share of rolled eyes and dirty looks from people who think he’s wrong, but he doesn’t care. In the meantime, he’s collected a dozen masks that he wears on rotation, as well as a supply of disposable masks that he can loan out or use in a pinch when his are in the laundry. His favorite is a black one covered with constellation diagrams, but he also has a rainbow mask that he pulls out for special occasions. 

While he’s no longer on lockdown, Castiel has still been limiting face to face interaction with friends and family as much as possible. Instead of going out, he’s been concentrating on renovating his 80’s era home. When he moved in, the whole thing was full of dated builder grade fixtures, pinky beige paint, stained beige carpet and dated wallpaper “feature” walls. Nothing had been changed, for better or for worse, for over 30 years. The lockdown was a great time to tear everything out, and within the first few weeks Castiel had the house stripped of wallpaper, old carpet and underlay, and popcorn ceilings. Once he had a blank slate he listed out the repairs and upgrades he wanted to make, and made a wish list of supplies. His first trip out for anything besides groceries was a locally owned hardware store. 

Castiel had been past Bobby’s Home & Hardware many times, but this was his first time inside. He put on his mask in the car - this one was a simple plaid pattern – and walked the short distance to the entrance. The sign on the door asked patrons to maintain a 6 foot distance as much as possible, wear a mask, and help themselves to the complimentary hand sanitizer. Castiel felt better about entering the store when he saw they were taking the health of their employees seriously, and rubbed a generous dollop of sanitizer on his hands as soon as he entered. He pulled out his list and grabbed a cart.

The first major DIY projects would have to be in the bathroom and kitchen. Castiel had ordered new kitchen appliances to be delivered, and would be stripping and staining the old cabinets. He planned to do the same with the bathroom cabinets, and to retile around the existing durable steel tub, but knew he’d have to replace the old toilet. 

Castiel strolled through the aisles, picking out the supplies he’d need to refinish the cabinets first and then things he’d need for the bathroom. He picked out some plain white subway tiles to go around the tub and then some small hexagonal tiles in black and white for the floor. He was dropping some new cabinet hardware in his cart when he saw someone enter the aisle out of the corner of his eye.

Stopping six feet away, the man was wearing a dark denim apron with Bobby’s logo embroidered across the top, and a matching mask. He gave Castiel an awkward wave. “Hi, just checking to see if you’re finding everything you need. Can I help with anything?”

Castiel was dumbfounded for a moment. The man was, without a doubt, the most attractive person he had seen in months, even if he couldn’t see the bottom half of his face. His eyes were a soft green colour, surrounded by tiny laugh lines that indicated a smile under the mask. He had broad, strong shoulders and arms. His bare forearms were decorated with several small tattoos – a small dagger on the inside of one wrist, some text Castiel couldn’t quite read on the inside of the other, and the bottom of a vine snaking under the edge of one sleeve. The man’s sandy brown hair was a little too long, likely a holdover from the lockdown, but what Castiel couldn’t stop looking at were those eyes. 

“I think I’ve found most of what I need, but I guess I should talk to you about a toilet?”

The man laughed, “Yep, I can help you out with that. You need a repair or a replacement?”

“Replacement, I think. Mine is over 30 years old and not very efficient, plus it looks like it’s been leaking.”

“Replacement it is. If you follow me 2 aisles that way I can walk you through what you need.”

Castiel happily followed the man, keeping his distance while the other man did the same. 

“So, if you want something more efficient I’d recommend this model. It’s more environmentally friendly than the old builder grade and the tank has a lower profile if you’re looking at fitting it into a small space. You’ll need a new wax seal and hose. I’m assuming it has a shut off valve installed?”

“Yes, I think it does. I’ve never done this before, so I’m kind of flying blind.”

“Well, I can actually recommend a helpful YouTube channel for this kind of thing, if you’d like?” 

Castiel brightened at the man’s offer. “That would be great! Can you show me the link?” 

“Well, not easily, right now.” The man frowned slightly, then smiled again, “Unless you wouldn’t mind me emailing it to you?”

“Actually, that would be awesome!” Castiel smiled broadly. He loaded his cart with the seal and fixtures the man pointed out. 

The man loaded up a small flat cart with the boxed toilet Castiel had picked out and followed him to the front. 

“So, who am I sending this to?” The man picked up his phone and looked at Castiel. 

“Oh right! I’m Castiel.” He rattled off his email address for the man. 

“Great, and I’m Dean.” He finished typing and hit send. “Let me just ring you up and then I’ll help you get this all loaded.”


	2. Chapter 2: I'll Be Back

The bare subfloor of Castiel’s living room was covered by yesterday’s haul from Bobby’s – including the toilet – and he was a little overwhelmed. He had downsized and boxed up most of his belongings to prepare for the renovation, so the only place he had to sit at the moment was his thrift store couch, and even it was destined to be hauled away once he was ready for new furnishings. 

Castiel was a writer and had quickly adapted to working from home during the lockdown. He had contracts with several scientific research facilities at the local University, and often took on extra work for online publications. All he really needed was a place to sit with his computer and good WIFI. His interviews with researchers were all conducted by video conference now, and he had capitalized on his existing relationship with medical specialists to help meet a new demand for general interest in vaccine development and immunology.

After showering and dressing in lounge pants and a long-sleeved Henley, Castiel made a fresh pot of coffee and filled his favorite cup, an extra-large mug that said “Drink Me”. He made himself comfortable on the worn-in couch with his laptop, getting down to his morning routine of checking the news feeds and then clearing out the previous day’s emails before he started work. He had no idea how he ended up on so many mailing lists, but leaving them for more than a day made things absolutely unmanageable. Halfway through this morning’s emails list he came across a new sender HandyDeanAtHome@gmail.com . Castiel remembered the very helpful green-eyed Dean, and smiled at the memory. 

Hey there Castiel! As promised, here is the link to the YouTube channel I mentioned. Full disclosure, it’s mine but I have been told it’s very helpful. Start with the bathroom and call if you have any questions. Dean.

Castiel went straight to the link at the bottom of the message and found dozens of home reno DIY videos, all hosted by “Handy Dean”, and sponsored by Bobby’s Home & Hardware. He quickly selected one near the top labelled “Tile it All” and held his breath as it loaded. The video was simple but well lit and the sound was clear, so Castiel had no trouble hearing Dean’s deep voice and – finally – seeing all of his beautiful features. The mask at the store had apparently been hiding full lips and a chiseled jaw, but the playful tilt of Dean’s wide smile sealed the deal. 

Castiel realized that he would have to watch the video again to actually learn anything about tile, but in the meantime, he just sipped his coffee and enjoyed listening to and watching this beautiful man. Dean’s hands were strong and firm as he demonstrated how to measure and snap chalk lines to mark tile placement, to mix and perfectly spread the mortar, lay the tiles with spacers, and then finish with grout. He had to watch the video twice more to absorb all the information, but Castiel ultimately felt like he could do a good job with Dean’s help. 

He scanned the rest of the videos until he found one on toilet installation. This was a bit more straightforward, but gave Castiel the opportunity to admire Dean’s strong shoulders in action as he moved the heavy fixture into place and pressed it firmly to the wax seal, then bolted it in place and tightened the plumbing. He quickly realized he would need to remove the old toilet, then tile the floor and finally install the new fixture. He would definitely be “roughing it” for a couple of days, but it was all doable. 

Feeling slightly guilty about blatantly objectifying a man he’d met exactly once, Castiel finally set aside the YouTube account and returned to his other emails, quickly clearing them. He refilled his mug, settled back in on the couch, and opened the working file for his latest project, an article for the University’s alumni magazine about advancement on non-invasive treatments for breast cancer. He resurfaced from his research and writing two hours later, with 500 words he would set aside to edit in the afternoon. 

Now that he was working from home full time, Castiel found it helpful to break up his work day into small chunks, interspersed with renovations. Alternating between reading or typing on his laptop, zoom calls, and then ripping up carpet or stripping wallpaper had helped the days fly by and Castiel had been very productive. Today he grabbed a late breakfast of yoghurt and a banana, then picked up his laptop again and moused back to Dean’s YouTube account before he tackled his first project. 

By the end of the day Castiel had edited and written another 500 words, as well as successfully installing a tile tub surround. Over the next two days he finished off the article and installed the new tile floor in his bathroom and replaced the toilet. He had memorized Dean’s instructions - along with those strong hands and broad shoulders – and he had also convinced himself he needed to visit his favorite hardware store again soon. 

The next morning Castiel took extra care dressing in the jeans that hugged his butt just right and a cobalt blue sweater that the saleslady had told him made his blue eyes “luminous”. He finished it with his weathered black boots and leather jacket, then tucked his rainbow mask in his pocket. 

Pulling into the parking lot at Bobby’s 15 minutes later, Castiel realized that Dean might not even be working today. Crossing his fingers, he put on his mask and strolled through the doors. He barely had time to sanitize his hands and grab a cart before he heard a familiar voice the next aisle over. Calmly, he started through the aisles with today’s list. He still needed finishing sandpaper for the cabinets – an oversight on his first trip – and he also wanted to pick out some paint and browse for new flooring.   
When he made his way to the choices for laminate and hardwood he found himself only 10 feet or so away from where Dean was helping a customer. The woman was in her 30’s, wearing form-fitting yoga pants and a tank top, and gazing up at Dean as if he was explaining the secrets of the universe. Dean was going over her options for a new kitchen floor, but when he caught sight of Castiel he thrust a handful of pamphlets at her. “It looks like you haven’t quite decided what you want. Maybe you could look these over and come back?” Dean suggested, sort of directing her towards the door with one arm while not actually touching her. 

Dean joined Castiel near the hardwood samples, “Hey, Castiel! Looking for flooring today?”

“Hi Dean! Yes, just deciding on something to replace a lot of old shag carpet. Sorry if I interrupted you with a customer …” Castiel glanced towards the door.

“No, she’s been bending my ear about that for ages. She was just ‘window shopping’, if you know what I mean,” Dean’s eyes crinkled a bit and Castiel pictured the wide smile he knew was obscured by Dean’s mask.

“Well, okay, if you’re free. I was thinking about some laminate or maybe hardwood for most of the house, and linoleum for the kitchen.” 

Dean spent almost an hour with Castiel going over the various products on show until he finally settled on a grey barn board laminate and a slightly retro black and white faux tile linoleum for the kitchen. Dean wrote up an order to be delivered to his house so he wouldn’t have to haul it in his car. Fortunately, everything could be prepaid and delivered contact free. 

“Just one thing left. You’re going to need a miter saw.” Dean raised an eyebrow in question.

“Yeah, I don’t have one of those. I assume you sell them here,” Castiel said.

“I could sell you one, but the cheap ones aren’t good and you probably won’t use it much after this.” Dean looked thoughtful. “Or, I could loan you one.”

“Like a rental?” asked Castiel.

“Nah, I can just loan you mine.” 

“That’s very generous.”

“No problem. I’m sure you’ll bring it back.” Dean’s eyes crinkled at the corners.

Oh yes, Castiel would definitely be back.


End file.
